Feedback & Reviews
Overall Reputation
“‘Greatest Coffee Shop in Singapore”
“To the ‘Greatest Coffee Shop in Singapore’. It has been a pleasure. We have enjoyed your coffee, food and company over the last year. We would have drunk more coffee but we had to fend for ourselves on Sundays when you’re not opened. You have educated us in the world of coffee and Singapore—lah! We are gone but you are not forgotten.”
Rebecca and Shaun Bullen — Melbourne, Australia
“it was a great privilege for me…”
“Thanks Phil, it was a great privilege for me to find your shop and have such world-class coffee. I hope your business goes over the top. Blessings.”
Michael Card — American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host
“Brilliant coffee, brilliant cakes, brilliant service and good environment…”
“Best coffee in Singapore, hands down. Phil and Cedric are passionate gentlemen whose dedication and high standards make it into the cup. Brilliant coffee, brilliant cakes, brilliant service and good environment. The cheesecake and carrot cake are not to be missed either.”
Epic76 — Hong Kong
“passionate gentlemen whose dedication and high standards...“
“Best coffee in Singapore, bar none. Phil and Cedric are passionate gentlemen whose dedication and high standards make it into the cup.”
“‘Consistently good…”
“Highlander Coffee—about the best cup of coffee you will get in Singapore. Consistently good.”
Sacharule
“Easily the best coffee to be found in Singapore…”
“Easily the best coffee to be found in Singapore. They take their espresso very seriously indeed and take great pride in what they offer.”
Aldous2000deluxe — Beanhunter
“arguably Singapore’s best coffee…”
“Highlander Coffee, arguably Singapore’s best coffee.”
Twitter mention
Coffee Quality and Craft
“Highlander Coffee are often cited as early adopters of more holistic control over their cup…”
“If personal attention to the production line is key to the artisanal push, then unpretentious, down-to-earth brothers Phil and Cedric Ho of Highlander Coffee are often cited as early adopters of more holistic control over their cup—bringing in green beans, roasting on-site, grinding on demand, and brewing to perfection. They serve up the best cup of flat white I’ve had in Singapore so far.”
Zimbio
“Great coffee by people who know and are passionate about great coffee…”
“Great coffee by people who know and are passionate about great coffee. A must-try and a true standout in Singapore.”
MrWhite — Beanhunter
“ Nothing compares!”
“I miss your coffee! Nothing compares!”
Epic76 — Hong Kong
“the best cappuccinos at Highlander…”
“In this, I mean to say that I still think I had one of the best cappuccinos at Highlander, and I’ve already spread the word around too.”
Anna Liew — Singapore
“Probably the best coffee I had on the world…”
“Probably the best coffee I had on the world tour. Just about perfect—nothing to fault, everything to praise.”
Parto — Beanhunter
“Highlander has the best cup of espresso you can find in Singapore…”
“Highlander has the best cup of espresso you can find in Singapore. They roast their beans in-house for maximum freshness and monitor the temperature of the water flowing through their brew heads.”
Carl Coryell-Martin
“Best coffee in Singapore, hands down…”
“Best coffee in Singapore, hands down—the best coffee bros since the Piccolo bros.”
Ryan Hong — Chef for Hire
“Best brew in town…”
“Best brew in town. Once you taste it, no other coffee tastes the same!”
Sayvious Ong
“BEST coffee I’d ever drink!”
“BEST coffee I’d ever drink!”
Dai Jiawen
“Brings back such sweet memories…”
“One of the best coffees I drank in Singapore, and seriously dedicated and very nice guys. Brings back such sweet memories.”
Annemarie Tiemes
“All great, but the ristretto was the best…”
“My last stop for coffee before coming back to Malaysia. I had espresso, ristretto and a macchiato. All great, but the ristretto was the best.”
KF Chan
Consistency and Professional Standards
“most certainly if consistency is considered.”
“When I first started going there I could safely say it was the best place in Singapore for coffee. It’s gone from that to the best place in Asia… Highlander would probably now make the top 10 outlets I’ve been to in the world, most certainly if consistency is considered.”
PeteF — CoffeeSnobs
“ethos is ‘Seriously Coffee…”
“Their ethos is ‘Seriously Coffee’ and I have to concur with this. Highlander is a coffee oasis in a city strewn with generic coffee chains.”
Melbourne Coffee Review
“Specialty artisanal coffee—first and foremost…”
“Specialty artisanal coffee—first and foremost, that’s what Highlander is all about. If you’re looking for the best espresso-based drinks in Singapore, this is the place to go.”
Lyzzard — Beanhunter
” artisan roasting and genuinely good”
“The brothers are doing it right! Finally, artisan roasting and genuinely good, fresh coffee in Singapore.”
Terence Sim
“Seriously Coffee’.”
“The disciplined way of brewing coffee and cleaning their coffee machines daily really lived up to their tagline, ‘Seriously Coffee’.”
Review of Highlander Coffee
“The coffee was nicely balanced…”
“The coffee was nicely balanced between the first notes of acidity and the back-palate spice and nut.”
Brad Nixon — Barista champion from Adelaide
Service and Hospitality
“the high standard of your products and the overall experience.”
“Highlander Coffee Team, we just wanted to give you a big compliment on your service, the high standard of your products and the overall experience. Awesome job! Keep up the great work.”
Albert and Natalie Visscher — Singapore
“These guys are very passionate about their coffee…”
“The owners know my family and me by now. We are there almost every Saturday afternoon. These guys are very passionate about their coffee and they do an extremely good job with it.”
Debra Ma — HungryGoWhere
“ The pricing is also good for the quality…”
“Coffee is pretty awesome every time I’ve been there. The pricing is also good for the quality—priced below Starbucks and the like. Really friendly staff.”
Vic
“the bosses are very friendly and really know how to engage the customers and make your day…”
“A nice, cosy and relaxing place to enjoy a cup of nice aromatic coffee. In addition, the bosses are very friendly and really know how to engage the customers and make your day. Their service staff are also very friendly and smiley all the time.”
Zann Tan
“ I really appreciate the good service”
“One of the best coffee places in Singapore. I have been a regular customer for a few years. I really appreciate the good service, fantastic aroma and coffee taste. Most of the staff are really friendly and can remember my name.”
Henny Zhan — HungryGoWhere
“endearingly friendly owners and baristas…”
“Excellent café fronted by endearingly friendly owners and baristas. You can almost smell their dedication to the bean once you step in.”
Jess82
“ a friendly bunch…”
“Great coffee and a friendly bunch. Well worth the time to pay a visit, have a chat and try some of their coffee.”
Borat123
“staff are very friendly and obviously very competent...”
“The staff are very friendly and obviously very competent, and tolerate our toddler son’s occasional tantrums while his parents sit completely motionless in a zen-like state following that first sip.”
C.K. — HungryGoWhere
Personal Attention and Coffee Guidance
“It was refreshing to meet someone who understood good espresso”
“I stopped by your store on Saturday and bought some beans and shared an espresso with you. I really appreciate the time you spent with me, even though you were starting a coffee class. It was refreshing to meet someone who understood good espresso and could discuss my issues. You were right—the fresh beans made a world of difference.”
Jody McGlothen
“A winning combination!”
“Dear Phil, thank you so much for your help. I will definitely start some research now on that machine. It looks as if that’s the one I was looking for. Nonetheless, nothing can beat the coffee at your shop.”
Andrea Fehr — Germany
“I had so many people comment on how good it was…”
“Thank you so much for your generous donation of your time and wonderful coffee that was served at the event. I had so many people comment on how good it was.”
Johanna Quirk — Event Committee, The Singapore Silk Soiree
“It gave me great peace of mind...”
“Phil, many thanks to Cedric for taking such good care of my DomoBar. It gave me great peace of mind that it was handled by someone who understands how to treat the machine.”
Suzanne Roat, PhD, P.E. — U.S.A.
“Big thanks to Highlander Coffee for their speedy and expert service…”
“Big thanks to Highlander Coffee for their speedy and expert service, enabling my machine to be up and running with almost no downtime.”
Jonathan Ho
Equipment Sales and Technical Support
“Your team did a great job.”
“Phil, many thanks for the excellent delivery and training on Saturday. The VBM Junior is everything that we hoped it would be. The package delivered with the machine was well thought through and effective. Your team did a great job.”
Louis Niven — New Zealand
“I was very pleased…”
“I was very pleased to see someone working hard at providing good products and services. Keep up the good work.”
Peter Moore — Tasman Consulting
“without doubt the best coffee in Singapore.”
“Phil, thanks for what is without doubt the best coffee in Singapore. It was great to meet you and I look forward to seeing more of you—and drinking more of your coffee.”
David Cooper — Lend Lease, Sydney
“in my experience is an important factor when buying a coffee machine.”
“They sell probably the best machines around—not cheap, but seriously good. They also do training, which in my experience is an important factor when buying a coffee machine.”
Coffee Freak — Expat Singapore
“extremely pleased with my purchase of an Aeropress.”
“I’m extremely pleased with my purchase of an Aeropress. What’s more, it looks like I had the best cup of cappuccino in my entire life when I was visiting your shop.”
Karol Janus
“ really got some very nice crema and excellent taste.”
“After our coffee machine arrived from Singapore, I experienced some trouble making coffee as good as we did in Singapore. Today I am certain that the quality of the coffee must be the reason. Jostein brought back some of your coffee beans and then I really got some very nice crema and excellent taste.”
Siri Bogen — Oslo, Norway
Coffee Education and Training
“these people are professional.”
“Highlander is not just a coffee bar, but a roastery and academy too. In other words, these people are professional.”
Tiensoon
“They have trained quite a few baristas from all over the region.”
“The owners, Phil and Cedric Ho, are both from engineering backgrounds but have pursued their love of the bean. They have trained quite a few baristas from all over the region.”
Qype review
“they roast their own coffee and conduct courses across the spectrum..”
“Besides the café, they roast their own coffee and conduct courses across the spectrum, from Basic Barista to Coffee Appreciation for individuals and corporate companies.”
Liren
“genuine passion for well-made espressos and cappuccinos.”
“Phil and Cedric infect anyone who meets them with a genuine passion for well-made espressos and cappuccinos.”
Cigar3 — Beanhunter
“This is one place where coffee fanatics unite to celebrate their addiction to the bean.”
“I cannot wait to attend their coffee appreciation course. This is one place where coffee fanatics unite to celebrate their addiction to the bean.”
Jess82
“it takes to make a really good cup of coffee.”
“Thank you both for teaching and advising me on what it takes to make a really good cup of coffee. I still tell everyone that the best is still at Highlander.”
Anthony Tan — Singapore
“You have educated us in the world of coffee and Singapore—lah!”
“You have educated us in the world of coffee and Singapore—lah!”
Rebecca and Shaun Bullen
Coffee, Equipment and Takeaway Beans
“Awesome work you guys are doing.”
“Looking forward to running your Supremo Blend through our Cimbali for my morning coffee. Awesome work you guys are doing. Best coffee in Singapore for sure.”
Sander Blauw — Netherlands
“Awesome work you guys are doing.”
“Bought their Supremo Blend—delicious.”
Annemarie Tiemes
“Your Brazil came up a treat in my Clever Coffee Dripper.”
“Your Brazil came up a treat in my Clever Coffee Dripper.”
Trevor Green — Perth, Australia
“The fresh beans made a world of difference.”
“The fresh beans made a world of difference. Within a few minutes of returning home, I was pulling shots that were better than anything I had pulled since arriving in Singapore.”
Jody McGlothen
“it brings such wonderful memories.”
“I use the tamper station every day and it brings such wonderful memories.”
Annemarie Tiemes
“that was truly great espresso.”
“Once when Phil came over from Singapore and brought some really fresh-roasted premium-quality coffee beans, that was truly great espresso. Phil roasted them in Singapore and they were only two days from roasting.”
KF Chan
Food and Value
“another flavourful food item…”
“The perfect latte, hot or iced, is served by the experts at Highlander Coffee Bar. Add a smoked duck sandwich or another flavourful food item, and you would want to move in.”
C.K. — HungryGoWhere
“The cost of this little piece of heaven”
“The cost of this little piece of heaven: half as much as a latte at Starbucks, and we won’t even talk about the food.”
C.K.
“right balance of density and sweetness.”
“If you are up for desserts, order their carrot cake and have them warm it up. It has the right balance of density and sweetness.”
Charms
“Brilliant coffee, brilliant cakes, brilliant service.”
“Brilliant coffee, brilliant cakes, brilliant service and a good environment. The cheesecake and carrot cake are not to be missed.”
Epic76
“Awesome work you guys are doing.”
“Awesome work you guys are doing.”
ClubSNAP review
“not only is it the best coffee in Singapore, it has to be the cheapest I found too.”
“The coffee prices are worth mentioning: not only is it the best coffee in Singapore, it has to be the cheapest I found too.”
Aldous2000deluxe
International Visitors
“visit to Highlander was well worth the effort…”
“We have just returned from Singapore, and a visit to Highlander was well worth the effort. Great coffee. Phil made a special Aeropress Kenyan for my wife and me and gave me a tour of the roastery and training area.”
Greenman
“It’s really good…”
“I have travelled all the way from Malaysia to taste your coffee. It’s really good. Any plans of expanding to Malaysia?”
Mike Lee
“Highlander Café and the operation room were very impressive…”
“It was great meeting you. Highlander Café and the operation room were very impressive. I returned to Thailand with a very good experience and trip to Singapore.”
Ayu Lee Chuepa — Chiang Rai, Thailand
“I loved being in Highlander..”
“I loved being in Highlander, and thanks for taking so much time for me. I only regret that I didn’t visit you sooner during my stay.”
Annemarie Tiemes — Netherlands
“We called into Highlander on Saturday afternoon and had a great cup of coffee.”
“We called into Highlander on Saturday afternoon and had a great cup of coffee.”
Johanna Western — New Zealand
“Probably the best coffee I had on the world tour.”
“Probably the best coffee I had on the world tour.”
Parto
“I had one of the best cappuccinos at Highlander.”
“I had one of the best cappuccinos at Highlander.”
Anna Liew
Memorable Brand Descriptions
“a city strewn with generic coffee chains.”
“Highlander is a coffee oasis in a city strewn with generic coffee chains.”
Annemarie Tiemes — Netherlands
“serving allegedly the best coffee…”
“For those in the know, Highlander is a cult classic in Singapore, serving allegedly the best coffee as well as teaching wannabe baristas the finer points of coffee-making and even latte art.”
Ate Too Much
“ a must-see destination…”
“Highlander is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Singapore who loves coffee.”
CoffeeSnobs forum
“You simply must go out of your way to visit Highlander…”
“You simply must go out of your way to visit Highlander, even if you’re only passing through Singapore for the day.”
Flynn_Aus
“The place oozes of a strong coffee culture.”
“The place oozes of a strong coffee culture.”
Singapore blog review
“This is truly coffee worth travelling for.”
“This is truly coffee worth travelling for.”
Cigar3
“They deal with coffee seriously…”
“They deal with coffee seriously, and you can see their passion in preparing your coffee.”
CoffeeSnobs forum
“These guys are passionate about what they are doing…”
“These guys are passionate about what they are doing, and it shows in the cup.”
Brother Espresso
“You can almost smell their dedication…”
“You can almost smell their dedication to the bean once you step in.”
Jess82
Google Reviews
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Blog
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